Mahsati Ganjavi-XII century Azery poetess. There is a little information about her life. There exists a number of controversial suggestions concerning Mahsati:was she really a historical personality? did she live before or after Omar Khayyam?where was she born?
The recent researches showed that Mahsati was born at the end of XIth century in Ganja, received perfect education, closely acquainted with the Eastern literature and music.
The most productive period of creation she spent in palace of Sultan Mahmud Seldjuk and his uncle Sanjar Seldjuk's palace.Mahsati Ganjavi commonly wrote rubai on Percian language.
Mahsati Ganjavi was a famous rubai writer not only in her epoch, but much more later. The love plot holds the main place in her creations. The rubais are marked out by their wordliness, humanism, epicurism and optimism. Mahsati ganjavi describes love as a fragile natural feeling which makes a man's fame higher. The poetess protested against religious prejudices, hypocricy, conservatism and protected a man's moral freedom. Her poems reflected the people's, especially women's, romantic dreams of a free and happy life.
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Khurshid-Banu Natavan (1830-1897)
BIOGRAPHY
Daughter of the last Karabakh khan – Mehdi Kulu-khan, Natevan was one of the best lyrical poetesses of Azerbaijan, advanced and bright person of her time.
Natavan was born on August 15, 1830 in Shusha. Being the only child in the family she was the only heir of the Karabakh khan and after her father’s death she was closely engaged in philanthropy, the social and cultural development of Karabakh. Among Natavan’s most famous deeds was a water-pipe that she laid down to Shusha in 1883, thus solving the water problem of the Shusha people. Natavan also founded and sponsored several literary societies in Shusha. One of them called "Majlisi Uns" became especially popular and concentrated major poetic-intellectual forces of Karabakh of that time.
In 1885 Natavan lost her beloved son Abbas who died from tuberculosis. Beginning from this date her poems, which were generally lyric and wistful, became permeated with a tragic sense of loss. Soon she fell ill by herself and in 1897 died in Shusha. She was buried in Agdam in the family cemetery named "Imarat". As a sign of respect, people carried her corpse from Shusha to Agdam on foot.
Natavan’s literary heritage is consisted of mainly ghazals which major characteristics are humanism, kindness, friendship and love.
POETRY
1. To My Son Abbas2. Lilac3. Time has plunged me into an ocean of pain and woe...4. Beloved, how could you break the oath to me you swore?
http://literature.aznet.org/literature/natavan/natavan_en.htm...
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With the collapse of the former Soviet Union, Azerbaijan experienced economic disintegration and political turmoil. Economic growth has since picked up pace, driven by the country’s rich reserves in oil and gas. Still, almost half the inhabitants live below the national poverty line and 13 per cent are extremely poor. Agriculture, including livestock production, employs just under half the population, with small-scale farmers producing about 96 per cent of agricultural output. Conflict with neighbouring Armenia led to the displacement of almost one million people, with 15 per cent of the current population living as refugees and internally displaced persons.
Poverty affects men and women almost equally in Azerbaijan, though women are at a higher risk of being unemployed. Women across the region marry young, on average before reaching the age of 24, and cultural perceptions that women should not work discourages many of them from seeking employment outside the home, especially in rural areas.
Women tend to dominate some sectors of the economy. They make up 70 per cent of educators and 57 per cent of those working in social services - both areas with lower wages than other vocations, and as a result, lower status. Agriculture employs over 30 per cent of women. Many men also work in agriculture but they have better access than women to business support services, training and education, which contribute to better work opportunities and higher pay.
On average, a woman in Azerbaijan earns only 57 per cent of a man’s salary. The disparity in wages is partly due to the fact that men tend to occupy management positions, which pay more. Women may also be unable to work because they cannot find safe and affordable day care. Not only do women have fewer job possibilities and lower salaries, they also have fewer benefits, shorter contracts and inferior working conditions.
When it comes to starting small and medium-sized enterprises, women face major obstacles....
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